At Duluth Trading, we don’t build outerwear for fishermen, we build it for tradesmen who work outside in cold, wet, nasty winter weather. But when we heard the guys at Sivertson’s Fisheries wanted to give our gear a try, we jumped at the chance to put it to the test. After all, what could be colder, wetter, dirtier, tougher than commercial smelt fishing on Lake Superior? The good news: Jeff, Melford, Dick and the rest of the crew of The Provider gave our jackets, vests, insulated overalls, long johns and gloves a big thumbs up. Not only did our gear keep them warm, dry and comfortable, it stood up to the punishing rigors of fishing.

Famed for its ferocious storms, Superior has sent 350 shipwrecks (including the storied Edmund Fitzgerald) to its chilly bottom. Vessels on Lake Superior have reported wind gusts in excess of 90 mph, and sustained winds of over 70 mph. When a brutal wind like that whips across the gunwale of The Provider, Jeff is glad he’s wearing a higher-performing kind of jacket. “We’ve been out where the nets actually freeze it’s so cold and the wind will blow you right off the boat. Your Shoreman’s Fleece Jacket was warm, easy to move in, and yes, absolutely windproof. I love it,” said Jeff, one of the owners of Sivertson’s.

Melford Johnson is the Captain of The Provider. His father was a fisherman, and his father’s father. After a lifetime of fishing, Melford knows overalls. So we held our breath when he wear-tested our Insulated Fire Hose® Bibs. What would he say? Not much, it turns out. He’s a man of few words, but we like what he says. “They work great,” he said. “Fit well. Lots of pockets and very warm. Really tough. Really a good overall. ”

By land and by sea, the Sivertson fisherman put our outerwear to the test. “My Force Nine Vest kept me dry in a cold winter squall with 50-60 mph winds,” reported Dick M. “Not a drop came through, though it was raining sideways and that wind was really howling.” Meanwhile, Joel K. wore our Force Nine™ Jacket to warm up as he worked in and out of cold storage in the warehouse, which feels like Duluth winter all year-round. -10°F temperature. Huge blowers blasting a frigid wind. Just stepping in to load crates for a few minutes is brutally cold. Our DTPro Winterproof Gloves also made the grade for Joel as he handled fish packing in cold wet conditions. “We glaze the fish – spray the packages with water – before freezing,” says Joel. “So my work gloves have to be waterproof. Yours are great for all these uses.”

So no matter what kind of job you do, you can be sure our outerwear will work for you – and that's no fish story!